Roman Reigns Splitting from Dean Ambrose Is Key to Elevating Both Stars

As long as Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose continue to fight alongside each other, they will step on each other's toes and slow themselves down.

While Seth Rollins had the benefit of fully breaking away from The Shield, the two partners he betrayed have kept their own alliance alive. That has Reigns and Ambrose overshadowing each other.

Breaking apart from each other creates a wealth of new opportunities. A stellar feud between the allies awaits. WWE will also be able to create a greater of sense of each man's identity when they part. And in the end, ending their bond hammers away the ceiling currently sitting above their heads. 

It's hard for the audience to fully invest in Reigns as the top babyface when such a popular, mold-breaking figure is always standing next to him.

Reigns is the company-backed man, with the prototypical size and magazine-cover look. Having the cult favorite anti-hero Ambrose play his right-hand man only spotlights how organic the reaction for Ambrose is and how force-fed the Reigns movement feels at times.

As for Ambrose, he doesn't feel like a top star because he's currently a sidekick.

His character is so dependent on Reigns. He is the loyal brother, the fearless friend always ready to jump into the fray. And ultimately, he is the second banana as a result.

As Blake Oestriecher of Forbes wrote, "As long as the two have an alliance, no matter how loose or unofficial, Ambrose will always be the Robin to Reigns' Batman."

And Ambrose has the talent to be far more than that. Just as WWE had Rollins venture on his own in order to creep toward megastar status, it has to eventually do the same with The Lunatic Fringe and Reigns.

There is certainly debate about how and when to do it, but many believe a breakup is a must. Brian Gulish, for one, said on Chair Shot Reality (h/t Wrestle Zone), "You have to split them up."

WWE seems to buy into that thought process, too. It put out its proverbial feelers to see if the crowd wanted to see them split up, polling fans on its website, asking who is more likely to turn on the other.

The company has also heavily teased that a dissolution of their partnership is on its way.

In the pursuit of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Reigns and Ambrose have stayed united but had minor hiccups, too. In a pair of recent tag team matches, Ambrose inadvertently collided with his own partner.

Each time, it seemed like Reigns was moments from blowing up, but the fire on the fuse quickly went out.

This has worked to create anticipation and suspense for their Triple Threat match at Fastlane with Brock Lesnar, but WWE needs to go further than that. A full-fledged breakup would free both men.

Notice how little Ambrose's Intercontinental Championship has been mentioned of late. That belt has become a shiny object in the background while Ambrose plays a role in a Reigns-centered narrative. The Fastlane bout is presumably building toward Triple H and Reigns at WrestleMania.

Credit: WWE.com

But where is this leading for Ambrose?

As The Big Dog's sidekick, he hasn't had as much opportunity to dive into a real rivalry of his own. A split would allow Ambrose to be the star of his own story opposite AJ Styles, Chris Jericho or Kevin Owens once more.

Ambrose feels like an add-on to this Reigns-against-authority angle. That will continue as long as such a key part of his gimmick is that he is Reigns' unwavering friend. 

And a prime feud to assist Reigns' climb can't happen while still aligned with Ambrose. The two brothers-in-arms facing off in a more animosity-rich one-on-one rivalry is a potential classic in the making.

Credit: WWE.com

Being such opposites begs for them to clash. Few foes could elevate Reigns by way of their promos together like Ambrose. The deft talker would bring out The Juggernaut's best, playing the pestering, maddening opponent who coaxes out Reigns' maximum aggression.

The friends-turned-foes story is one WWE has turned to countless times in the past for good reason.

Betrayal adds a powerful element to the narrative. And longtime partners tend to have a great chemistry to build on. 

Beyond that, flying solo has often led to careers truly taking off.

Edge, and to a lesser extent Christian, blossomed after going it alone. Triple H skyrocketed as a heel after battering Shawn Michaels to the mat in 2002. Randy Orton and Batista both reached their potential after leaving Evolution.

Stephanie McMahon mentioned some of those examples on Raw last week as she tried to stir up tension between Reigns and Ambrose. As for their own alliance falling apart, "It's just a matter of when," she told them.

She's right. Even real-life brothers such as Owen and Bret Hart or The Hardy Boyz parted ways eventually. In each case, the separation helped catapult the individuals.

That's how to maximize Reigns' and Ambrose's careers, as well.  

Capitalizing on the negative reactions to Reigns by turning him heel at some point is just smart business. He can join The Authority as the corporate champ, much as The Rock did in 1999.

Ambrose going on a historic run with the IC title is a wise option for him. Should he outlast Jericho, a promoted Samoa Joe and others, he will primed and ready for a run with the prize that Triple H now holds.

Give them a chance to be their own men. Give them each the fight of their lives against each other. And stop having Reigns take attention away from Ambrose and vice versa.

Count on the disintegration arriving, but not until later. Fastlane will simply act as further foreshadowing. Reigns can concentrate on Triple H for now.

But WrestleMania looms as the perfect, high-profile place to leave this partnership in ruin.